Semua Bab A Tomb of Mirrors: Bab 1 - Bab 10

In the early days of the end times, my villa, thanks to its peculiar design, was a fortress against the lesser haunts. It was our safe haven.Safe as we were inside, the fact that we could not step outside spelled out a grim reality: no food.Hunger struck hard, and after two days, my husband, Christopher Larson, and mother-in-law, Sally Parker, had me bound to a chair. It was beyond my wildest nightmares that they would turn on me like that.My pleas fell on deaf ears; they were merciless. To keep their 'food' fresh for a few more days, they went so far as to carve the flesh from my legs. The agony and despair hit me like a tidal wave. I screamed until my voice was nothing but a rasp, only to hear them complain, saying, "This woman's meat is so tough!"To keep me from dying of infection, they even shoved anti-inflammatory drugs down my throat.Those seven days were a blur of torment, and how I made it through, I could not say. On the eighth day's dawn, the greater haunts arrived,

Dustin looked like I had hit him with a bolt from out of the blue. I could see he was itching to make a deal, but he played it cool, asking me what had gotten under my skin to come to him so suddenly.If I went around talking about being reborn after the apocalypse, people would think I was insane. Even if he did buy into my story, I would not spill the beans to him.After all, it was his dirty tricks that had sent my dad to an early grave, choking on his own rage when his project went south.With the clock ticking, I played the innocent card. "Mr. Hill, my friend has this investment lined up that will triple our money! However, you know the drill. When my old man kicked the bucket, he made sure I was set for life, turning most of my inheritance into real estate. That left me pretty strapped for cash. And the only guy I know who can cough up that kind of dough so fast is you, Mr. Hill. So..."Dustin's eyes danced with a wicked glee as he agreed to my pitch.However, the guy was a

However, reborn with a vengeance, I would live by one rule: if one were to cross me, I would pay it back a hundred times over.I clutched the phone tightly. "Your mom's the only one who gets it. I'll be tied up here for another couple of hours. Tell her I'm craving her grilled lamb chops, barbeque pork ribs, and that homemade pie mash she makes..."I rattled off a list of dishes that were notoriously tricky to whip up.On the other end of the line, Christopher tried to cut in, but I steamrolled right ahead."For the main dish, I'm craving your mom's homemade pumpkin soup and her beef and kimchi noodles."Once I finished, Christopher, a bit flustered, said, "Honey, that's quite a spread you're asking for. Are you sure we can eat all that?"I played the innocent act. "Oh, well, then just make a tiny bit of each!"That left Christopher speechless for a moment, scrambling for a response.I did not give him the chance. "Babe, I have to run. I'm swamped with work. I need to wrap up s

Driving home, I caught sight of Christopher on the sidewalk, one arm around a kid, the other around a woman's waist.Talk about a stroke of luck.I quickly snapped a picture of their cozy scene.After picking up a new phone and SIM card, I sent the picture to Christopher.His phone rang within a minute, but I ignored it.His texts popped up soon after.[Who is this?][What do you want?]I did not bother replying. I powered the phone off, leaving him to stew.Back at home, Sally greeted me with open arms. "Jess, you're back."I managed a weak smile and headed straight for my room.The moment I stepped in, I saw my cabinet had been turned upside down.I dashed outside, panic in my voice. "We've been robbed! I need to call the cops!"Sally was quick to block my path, her voice shaky as she said, "I've been home all day and haven't spotted any thief."My brow furrowed in frustration. "My dresser's been turned upside down, and my jewelry's missing!"Sally shot back, "You didn

With that, I spun on my heel and walked away, unknowingly dropping the keys to the villa.Bright and early the next day, I dolled myself up and planned a day out with Christopher and Sally.Christopher was under the impression that it was a surprise for Sally. The two of them were all smiles, clueless but thrilled.Only when we pulled into Lascora did Christopher sense something was off. "What place is this?"I just smirked and did not answer. I swung the car door open and made a beeline for the tent.Christopher and Sally were right on my heels.Beyond the tent, they caught sight of my portrait. Their eyes went wide, and they stammered, "What's all this about?"Without a word, I spread my arms, and the funeral home attendant promptly suited me up in a sleek, black, custom-tailored suit.I gave a contented nod, stepped onto a stool, and gently reclined into the solid mahogany casket.The officiating minister cleared his throat, his voice resonating with gravity and depth."He